Flu activity picks up in Georgia

ATLANTA - State health officials said flu cases are increasing in Georgia. <br> <br> Alison Han, state influenza surveillance coordinator, said the Georgia Division of Public Health has recorded five more positive flu specimens since the state&#39;s first positive case was confirmed in December. <br> <br> Han said Tuesday that the department expects increasing flu activity. <br> <br> Georgia updated its flu status from sporadic to regional flu activity on January 18th. Han says reports of flu and higher absenteeism in schools are coming from a number of different counties. <br> <br> The five confirmed flu cases all were in the Atlanta area. One sample, a type A strain, was submitted from Decatur this month. The state&#39;s first confirmed sample was a type A strain found in Decatur last month. <br> <br> Officials say three more type A strains were confirmed in Atlanta this month, and the state&#39;s first type B strain was found on January 12th. <br> <br> The flu is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus. It attacks the respiratory tract. <br> <br> According to the CDC, most recover in one or two weeks but some can develop life-threatening complications. The flu kills about 36,000 people each year and about 114,000 end up in the hospital. <br> <br> Health officials stress the importance of flu shots.

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